The invention regards a through-penetration device, a process for manufacturing a through-penetration device, as well as a process for installing a through-penetration device. Through-penetration devices with intumescent material are used for the purpose of protecting cables and pipes routed through building components such as walls or ceilings, from fire. Such through-penetration devices can be installed retroactively into an opening in the building component. However, if the building component is cast from concrete, it is advantageous to cast-in the through-penetration devices at the same time; i.e., the liquid concrete will surround the through-penetration device.
It is the task of this invention to create a simply designed and cost-effectively producible through-penetration device that provides secure fire protection and that can be cast into a building component as a “cast-in” part.
For this purpose, a through-penetration device has, according to the invention, a molded body consisting essentially of an intumescent foam material and having at least one penetration opening for a line, whereby the outer contour of the molded body has protrusions extending radially outward for the purpose of anchoring in a cast building component. During casting, the protrusions on the outer contour will form undercuts in the concrete that serve to securely anchor the through-penetration device in the building component. The protrusions can easily be produced while the molded body is produced, in particular, by foaming in a mold.
The intumescent foam material preferably comprises a foamable binder containing an intumescent mix of substances. Here, the binder will act as an interlinking carrier for the intumescent mix of substances. Preferably, the mix of substances will be homogeneously distributed within the binder. The interlinking carrier is preferably selected from among the group consisting of polyurethanes, phenolic resins, polystyrenes, polyolefins—such as polyethylene and/or polybutylene, melamine resins, melamine resin foams, synthetic and natural rubber, cellulose, elastomers, and mixtures thereof, with polyurethanes being preferred.
The intumescent mix of substances comprises the fire protection additives that are common and known to the person skilled in the art, which additives will, in case of fire, i.e., when exposed to heat, start foaming and thus form a foam that hinders the propagation of flames, such as an intumescent material based on an acidifier, a compound producing carbon, and a gasifier. Preferably, the intumescent material will comprise an acidifier, a salt or an ester of an inorganic, nonvolatile acid selected from among sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid and boric acid; as a compound producing carbon, a poly-hydroxyl compound and/or a thermoplastic or duroplastic polymer resin binder; and as a gasifier, a chloro-paraffin, melamine, a melamine compound, in particular, melamine cyanurate, melamine phosphate, melamine polyphosphate, tri(hydroxyethyl)-cyanurate, cyanamide, dicyanamide, dicyandiamide, biguanidin and/or a guanidin salt, in particular, guanidin phosphate or guanidin sulfate.
In addition, the interlinking carrier can contain, as an ablative additive, an inorganic compound that contains water in solid form; e.g. as crystallization water, and will not dry out at temperatures of up to 100° C., but will release the water in case of fire at temperatures from 120° C. on, thus being able to cool components; this will preferably be an inorganic hydroxide or hydrate, in particular, aluminum hydroxide, aluminum oxide hydrates or partially hydrated aluminum hydroxides, that releases water when exposed to the fire's temperature or flames. But other inorganic hydroxides or hydrates releasing water when exposed to flames are also an option, such as those described in EP 0 274 068 A2.
Such compounds that can be used as mix of substances in the fire protection insert according to the invention, are known to the person skilled in the art and are, e.g., disclosed in the following citations, which are herewith expressly referenced: DE 30 25 309 A1, DE 30 41 731 A1, DE 33 02 416 A1, DE 34 11 327 A1, EP 0 043 952 B1, EP 0 051 106 B1, EP 0 061 024 B1, EP 0 116 846 B1, EP 0 158 165 B1, EP 0 274 068 A2, EP 1 347 549 A1, EP 1 641 895 B1, and DE 196 53 503 A1.
The production of the fire protection insert is possible, e.g., by foam molding, such as reaction injection molding (RIM) according to DE 3917518, e.g., with Fomox® fire protection foam or the HILTI CP 65GN building material that forms an insulation layer. Materials that can be used for purposes according to the invention are known from EP 0061024 A1, EP 0051106 A1, EP 0043952 A1, EP 0158165 A1, EP 0116846 A1, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,396,129 A, as well as EP 1347549 A1. Preferably, the molded body will consist of an intumescence-capable polyurethane foam, as it is known from EP 0061024 A1, DE 3025309 A1, DE 3041731 A1, DE 3302416 A, and DE 3411 327 A1.
However, in order to improve the stability of the foamed fire protection insert, glass fibers may also be integrated into the fire protection insert, which will result in considerably greater stability of the foamed material. For example, the fire protection insert may have a core made of glass fibers, in particular, a glass fiber weave. This will also improve the stability during work with the fire protection insert, allowing easier installation of the fire protection insert, in particular, easier folding or swiveling of the side elements.
The building component is, e.g., a wall or a ceiling made of concrete. The line may be, e.g., electrical cables, or pipes.
The molded body is, in its basic shape, embodied as a cuboid or a circular cylinder.
It is possible to integrate the molded body partially into a frame, or to mount it with a flange; e.g., in order to facilitate the casting inside the building component. But in doing so, the protrusions will always make contact with the material of the building component so that the molded body will be securely anchored within the building component.
Preferably, several protrusions will be provided that are arranged behind each other in the axial direction in order to improve the fastening in place of the molded body within the building component.
At least one of the protrusions may be embodied as circumferentially uninterrupted. But it is also possible to embody the protrusions around the circumference of the molded body with interruptions.
In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the at least one penetration opening will initially be closed off by means of a membrane. The membrane may be embedded in the molded body, which is preferably already performed as the molded body is produced. It is advantageous if the membrane contains an intumescent material. When the lines are inserted, the membrane will be ruptured; it is, however, preferably embodied such that it will be contacting the lines. Thus, a smoke-proof closure can be created in case of fire, both in the penetration openings that are still closed, as well as in the penetration openings that are filled with lines.
The outer circumference of the molded body is preferably surrounded by a waterproof skin, thus preventing the intrusion of cement slurry and moisture from the concrete during the casting process. The waterproof skin may, e.g., be a film, but also a coating, preferably made of latex.
The protrusions may contain sufficient intumescent material for essentially closing off all of the penetration openings.
Here, a protrusion is considered that part of the molded body that extends radially into the building component into which the molded body is embedded.
The maximum diameter of the through-penetration device is defined by a cylindrical wall of the cast building component surrounding the molded body, which wall forms the interior wall of the opening in the building component, which opening is filled by the molded body. This dimension is identical to the dimension of a cylindrical outer wall of the molded body from which wall the protrusions extend, with the cross-section area corresponding to the cross-section area of the molded body, except for the protrusions.
The protrusions will preferably be embodied such that they contain sufficient intumescent material in order to be able to fill the maximum cross-section of the through-penetration device in case of a fire. It is also possible to remove all of the material of the molded body with the exception of the protrusions that remain in the building component, and to use all of the maximum cross-section of the through-penetration device for the lines.
For installing the through-penetration device in the building component, a through-penetration assembly is provided for, that has a through-penetration device as described above, as well as a mounting plate that can be axially pushed onto the through-penetration device, and which seals the penetration openings. The mounting plate will preferably be a fitted piece. It will preferably engage with any and all penetration openings of the molded body and seal these openings so tightly that concrete cannot get into the penetration openings.
The mounting plate can, e.g., be a molded part made of polystyrene or polypropylene particle foam. But it could also be a thermoformed part made of polypropylene or ABS. This will allow the mounting plate to be easily nailed to the formwork in order to secure the through-penetration device assembly in place before casting.
A through-penetration device as the one mentioned above can be produced by performing the following steps:                applying a liquid coating material to a surface of a foaming mold, and        subsequent introduction into the foaming mold of a foam mass containing a predetermined amount of intumescent material;        whereby a water-impermeable skin will be formed by the coating material on the foam-molded body when the foaming process is completed.        
In this manner, the water-impermeable skin can be produced directly during the production of the molded body together with the latter without requiring subsequent work steps.
Preferably, a latex material will be used as the coating material. In this case, the foam mass with its intumescent percentage will bond with the latex material, resulting in a foam-molded body that has a waterproof skin made of latex connected inseparably to its outer contour.
Foaming is preferably performed, as already mentioned above, by means of a reaction-injection molding process.
A through-penetration device such as the one described above is installed in a building component, in particular, in a wall or a ceiling made of concrete, in such a manner that during the casting of the building component, the molded body of the through-penetration device is cast-in in such a manner that the protrusions form undercuts within the building component. In this manner, it is solely by the outer contour of the molded body that secure fastening-in-place of the through-penetration device within the building component is achieved.
During the mounting process, in particular, a mounting plate of the through-penetration assembly described above will be fastened to the formwork, with the mounting plate having protrusions that match the penetration openings of the through-penetration device. The molded body of the through-penetration device will be placed on the protrusions of the mounting plate and fastened in place; e.g., by the penetration openings being wedged onto the protrusions of the mounting plate. The molded body will be cast into the building component, and the formwork and the mounting plate will be removed.
The mounting plate is preferably fastened securely to the formwork; e.g., by means of nailing, so that when the formwork is removed, the mounting plate will simultaneously be removed from the through-penetration device.
The molded part may be closed off at its end that is not pushed onto the mounting plate by means of a cover; e.g., a lid or film, in order to prevent moisture and concrete from entering.